Post-match interview Emma Raducanu & Anne Keothavong - 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers | LTA

I think the level out there today was really high-level tennis I think it was some of the best Best tennis I've played I think Deanne challenges players and myself in ways you're not used to on this surface She makes you play really difficult shots put the ball in very awkward positions It's not as straightforward as big hitting tennis it's a lot more crafty and I The way I was able to handle it the way I was able to move the ball around and keep striking and recover from the third set I'm very pleased Obviously you played extremely well o get up 5-2 in the third set and then she was coming back How did you find a way to Reset and close it out in the end Yeah I think I was up 5-2 in 7-4 I mean the crowd I don't know how much you can tell from the TV but it's live I mean you're in the stadium It was pretty incredible the sound I think especially because it's such an enclosed space everything feels so much louder and I think luckily I have good practice I mean playing On Arthur Rash was a similar thing honestly especially when they're all against you So I honestly wasn't phased by the crowd and the noise I think that doesn't really bother me which is probably one of my strengths but I knew that going up 5-2 I was striking it I was hitting the ball into the corners going for my shots and that's how I got up So I wasn't going to start pushing the ball around it was just about executing So I just refocused Two break points down at 5-all I pulled out a great ace and she missed her return and that was a huge hold and then in the breaker I played amazing to be honest You talked before about some of the challenges of being an individual on the tour Would it be fair to say this is maybe one of the most enjoyable things you've done since that US tour Open win in terms of practice time team spirit the occasion here and the clay court practice as well Yeah I think the team this week was a really great mix It was very different characters all meshed into one I think we had some really amazing upbeat energy from Fran who really brought it every day Then Heather was just Yeah no because the headlines that were made me and Fran are going to Tuscany and that was the running joke of the week So when we celebrated at the end we shouted Tuscany and the rest of them are also invited to our little weekend in Tuscany Yeah it was a great week with everyone and Heather is obviously very experienced Brought amazing energy to the team Harriet as well and Bolt's just yeah recovering from Yesterday It was really good to go out there and just know that okay worst case scenario It's 2-all and I'm deciding on doubles But yeah obviously I can't forget Anne and she's been great On the bench just being an amazing captain keeping a straight face We were just talking about it when I missed those match points But I think also shout out to everyone behind the scenes because yeah they've been working around the clock to keep us healthy keep us fit and keep us entertained and just have good energy around How do you think this whole experience might help Are you moving forward individually Yeah for me I think my last Fed Cup match was Two years ago in Czech I think it's great to see how far I've come on a lot of notes Tennis-wise I've definitely improved because I feel like I'm playing some of the best tennis of my career in my life So I'm very pleased with that And then also just emotionally and mentally I think it took a lot of strong character to get through the moments I experienced over the last two days especially when the entire stadium was pretty much against you Except we had the Brits which I was very happy to hear but it was tough The French are so loud and rowdy Booing everything Honestly it was tough to play in front of But yeah I think for myself I can take a lot of positivity and I really enjoyed this week Why are you going To Tuscany I'm not going to say but we really had a great time She's a great friend of mine Now I didn't really spend much time with her beforehand But yeah I think it's just going To be like a little girl's trip you know and the team to Tuscany In some time or not like Right away Anne's just landed me in it right It's on hold Nah just a good girl's holiday at the beach The end of the season after the finals Can you tell us about the message you sent to Katie Overnight She mentioned it She spoke about how it had inspired her Yeah I think after yesterday It's obviously tough you know playing Diane and she's playing some amazing tennis I think whe I went on today I was like I really understood okay that's how the score happens She played really really well And I think if I could have handled the low backhand slice I think that was a really key factor today I knew exactly what to do because I think I was prepared from yesterday I got all the information from her and the team But yeah I basically just told her look like head up you know tomorrow's a new day We're all even We're not too locked down It's a fresh start There's no difference from starting like this started on Friday It's all to play for today And then I also said look if anyone is going to bring It's going to be us today because I knew were both playing So I think tha Hopefully I helped And yeah I know Katie loves playing Fed Cup and yeah it was a huge huge event She was a huge help when she won for the first time Just looking at what you did from the match points to the end Has mental strength always been one of your strengths And is it like a coldness in those Moments Is that what you need It has It has been one of my strengths And I think that The matches that I've lost it's probably not been there 100% honestly So I think that jus To be able to show that again was a really good thing for me to take personally I know That's when I'm at my most dangerous And I think honestly the ones I've lost probably haven't been all there for the whole time Time like I've been having this weekend So it obviously takes a lot out of you to do that physically and emotionally But I'm very pleased that I was able to do that this weekend And I Know like okay that's how it's got to be from now on if I'm going to be playing matches like tha level And Ian is it Ian Prangley You mentioned Ian No no Ian Aylward He's been training me and all the girls at the LTA at the NTC So yeah he's not here this week but he's bee doing a lot of work with all of us not just me You mentioned in court that some people don' Fancy British players on clay I'm curious how you would describe your relationship with the surface now after these last few matches and what you've learned about yourself on clay Yeah I'm actually enjoying it It's like when you're not so sure about something at first and then the more you kind of try and make yourself like it I guess the more you start actually liking it And I'm honestly really enjoying it I feel like my movement has always It was more about my patience and my fitness to stay in the long rallies Rallies and build the points And that's something I have a lot better now I'm able to generate From deeper behind the baseline So I don't feel like I have to rush the points And I feel like I'm developing more options I can play fast but I can also make the ball and build from the back So yeah it's definitely a budding relationship Anne you've had some great experiences as captain I was just wondering where this ranks I guess not in terms of the shock factor but winning on clay in France must be one of your achievements Best achievements Yeah absolutely I think the odds were stacked against us coming into this match and we knew were the underdogs and it was going to be a huge challenge and it was going to be They require some incredible performances But both Emma and Katie delivered and I couldn't be prouder of them both I mean they really gave it their all and there was some spectacular tennis And You know yesterday Emma's match against Garcia how she came back from a set down Well the quality of the tennis Emma and Garcia produced yesterday was quite something Sitting there and watching And today as well against Parry and you know Katie as well you know when you win the first couple of games and then lose twelve in a row and the Come back and do what she did today when there was uncertainty about who she was going to play It was only half an hour before the match that we prepared her to play Garcia And then half an hour before were notified it was Burrell So you know really proud of Katie The way she was able to adapt and approach the match and play tennis on her terms today So just checking half an hour seems shorter than usual Was it 20 minutes It was half an hour So half an hour before the match you can make a change o the first match of the day And then you've got 20 minutes in between singles and you've go 10 minutes to basically make a decision to change So yeah it doesn't give you much time What was going on in your stomach during the final few games Well I mean look it was just yeah no as Emma already mentioned as were walking Here were saying you know the challenge I think for any captain or anyone on the team The court for coaches is to maintain a straight face in times of trouble You know the last thing you want to do is you know show any kind of disappointment when you know they're busting Their arse out there And it's like you know you just do what you can to try and help and support and give positive vibes But you know Emma was in a bubble I mean I think you could see that from the way she approached each point And you know as loud as the crowd was as tough as everything was out there she handled herself She performed incredibly well and showed so much grit and determination And when she's in that zone I'm sure she won't mind me talking about it but when she's in that zone you know there's very Little for me to say you know at the turn of events And it's just reinforcing the things we've already spoken about and touched on and tactically just you know a few reminders But a player of Her level her class you know she knows what she's doing and you can see when she's in control And you know despite not converting on the first few match points the way she was able to win the match Regroup was just I mean it blows my mind how she hit that ace break point down and the e way she handled that tiebreaker and did everything on her own terms Yeah I mean just too Say something about the historical significance We figure that 1990 would have been the last time we lost to Austria in the quarterfinals which would have been like the last eight And then maybe well 1981 would have been the last time we beat a Grand Slam Yeah And I mean that was kind of mentioned to the players and the staff you know as were because a few of our team members have already They left because they had tournaments to attend But you know certainly in my time as captain as a player for as long as I've followed this competition This feels like you know a huge kind of milestone to be able to earn your spot in the finals It's one of the very best teams I've always believed we've got players who are capable of playing at the highest level in this competition And you know to finally To have been able to achieve that this week is quite something And I'm not going to forget You know I did this in a hurry But I told the players they've got a lot of work to do To do between a lot of winning between now and November And yeah look everyone everyone wants to be part of this team again which for me as captain is you know a great honor This is a very specific place to be but you hit quite a few of those forehand drop shots That's like thin slices like angled slices I'm curious if that's something you practice or do you find yourself trying new things and just seeing how they go I think I decided that the second set against Paris was a good time to just try it So yeah I think I've been practicing it as the match went on I guess I knew that when I was hitting the ball through into the corners she was dealing with it really well and giving up quite a lot A lot of court position And I think in the first set I was getting caught a little bit Overpressing sometimes and there was a lot of space for it And there are a few that I didn't hit I did well like I didn't execute them perfectly and she had an easy shot but I also got rewarded for it when I did And I think it's something just to keep her honest So she didn't really Know if I was going to go big or go short and that just destabilizes the opponent and makes it difficult for her Thank you